Although it follows the clichés of almost every cop show on television, the blend of comedy, quirky characters, and solid performances from its cast makes The Closer worth watching. The entire first season has now been collected in a four disc set that also features bonus unaired scenes on six different episodes.
Set in L.A., The Closer features Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Johnson – an off-beat cop with a thick Southern accent and plenty of charm. Her specialty is closing cases by making the guilty confess through odd interrogation methods. She doesn’t care about the politics of her job or how her behavior and attitude might alienate other members of the police force – including those on her own Priority Murder Squad.
Along with Sedgwick’s great portrayal of the Johnson character, The Closer also benefits from a great group of character actors including J.K. Simons, G.W. Bailey, Corey Reynolds, Robert Gossett, Tony Denison, and Jon Tenney.
Although Sedgwick steals a lot of the show’s spotlight and is the main character of the series, G.W. Bailey deserves a lot of the credit for providing the laughs. The actor is perfect in the wise cracking role, and is able to hold his own against Sedgwick’s charm. I found myself watching the show more for his performance rather than seeing how Johnson would solve the crime before the 45 minute mark.
Disc One includes the pilot episode where we are introduced to Johnson, and quickly learn several aspects that will carry over future episodes of the season. These aspects include the squad’s resentment at Johnson being brought in from Atlanta; Johnson’s odd eating habits (something that provides a lot of comedy); friction with other members of the police force; Johnson’s past relationship with Simons; and her evolving relationship with an old F.B.I. contact. Episode 2 sees the squad investigating the death of a model who seems to have slipped in the shower, but Johnson suspects there is more to the crime. Episode 3 sees some political scandal flare up as the team investigates the death of a hooker with a high profile client list.
Sedgwick’s character is known for closing a case through odd integrations
Disc 2 sees the group continuing to question Johnson’s methods as Episode 4 finds her teaming up with a retired Marine to hunt down his sniper son. Episode 5 the group investigate the death of a doctor involved in a drug trial program. Episode 6 sees the return to some of the political aspects of the show as Johnson has to tread carefully while trying to find the killer of a Congresswoman’s daughter who happened to be involved in kinky online sex. Episode 7 sees Johnson ruffling even more feathers when she keeps an autistic boy from his mother while trying to solve the death of his father.
Disc 3 starts to see the series slipping a bit and becoming formulaic. The series still manages to hold your attention, but the result of every episode is easily predictable, and several of the characters start to lose their appeal. The disc starts with Episode 8 where the group tries to solve the murder of a gay man, and determine if it was a hate crime. Episode 9 crosses the border when Johnson goes to Mexico to get her confession after a girl is raped and murdered. Episode 10 has a lot of humor and reads straight from the headlines as a wealthy widow dies, the butler hangs himself, and the relatives line up for the inheritance.
Disc 4 sees the series really becoming formulaic, and Sedgwick’s charm starting to fade. At the same time, we also see the squad starting to get behind their whacky leader. Episode 11 again picks up some political heat as Johnson and gang tangle with the F.B.I. after a murder case crosses jurisdiction lines. Episode 12 sees Johnson ruffling even more feathers when a woman, who was thought to have been murdered three years ago, dies and the killer is released from prison. Episode 13 ends the season with a few fireworks, but no major hanging storylines. Johnson has to solve a high profile case while juggling a conduct unbecoming an officer complaint filed against her. We also see the squad stand behind their boss, and are left waiting on the next season.
Overall, The Closer is a familiar television show, but one that is highly entertaining and addictive. Sedgwick and cast know the roles they are playing, and work extremely well together. The series has some faults (such as the F.B.I. boyfriend appearing almost every episode to save the day) and if you watch each episode back to back they are that much clearer. These faults don’t counter what is a good mix of comedy and drama.
The series never ventures too dark and gritty, thanks to the comedy of Sedgwick and Bailey - which keeps it separated from other cop shows. At the same time, it never becomes so light that you mistake it for a sitcom.
Bailey and Sedgwick deliver much of the comedy in the series
The set is a little light on special features – consisting of just the 22 minutes of unaired footage spread out on the different episodes. This isn’t a major drawback, but it would have been nice to have some commentary from Sedgwick or some kind of behind the scenes look. The series airs on TNT and I am sure at some point they had some behind the scenes looks while promoting its debut.
Thanks to its strong cast and unique tone, I would recommend the series to any fan of crime shows or of Sedgwick. I found Bailey stealing a lot of her thunder, but the series truly rests on her shoulders. She handles the character perfectly and manages to entertain even if the series is extremely formulaic.
The Closer - The Complete First Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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